SSG Summer School 2005

Sneaton Castle, Whitby, North Yorkshire

1 – 5 August 2005

Didn’t we have a lovely time the week we went to Whitby for the Society of Saint Gregory Summer School?

2005 will be remembered for the year the SSG went ‘oop North’ again. People gathered from all parts of England and Wales in Sneaton Castle, a conference centre which is alongside the convent of the Order of the Holy Paraclete — OHP for short. As the car turned into the drive, we wondered whether we had stumbled onto a setting of the next J K Rowling story — the little-known Harry Potter and the SSG Summer School — where Harry does combat with the foes of liturgical ignorance and irregular rhythm, and by the end of the book has learnt the necessary spells to get the congregation singing and actively participating!

On arrival there was a welcome and a cup of tea — a sign that we were in good hands. It was a time to greet old friends and begin to make new ones. The Team had done a great job with 21 of 69 people new to Summer School this year. Rooms were found and it was time to get to know the site — where are the talks and workshops happening? Where is the bar? Sneaton Castle has beautiful grounds with gardens to walk in and views over Whitby and the sea. One thoughtful addition in our welcome pack was the inclusion of the Baptised with Fire CD. I am sure this was appreciated by participants and enabled them to access this collection.

The Liturgy

Our first liturgy started outdoors in the walled former bowling green. Slowly we formed ourselves around the cross. As a reminder of Baptism we were signed in water with the sign of the cross and then we went in procession to chapel led by the cross. The liturgy ended with an invitation to a drink in the bar where so much of the Summer School learning happens.

Prayer of the Church

During the week, Morning Prayer gave us the opportunity to see how, within a simple format of antiphon and psalm verses, so much variety and prayerful spirituality could be achieved.

Preparing for Liturgy

A welcome development in Summer Schools in recent years has been the understanding that we need to be prepared together to celebrate liturgy, but it is preparing us and the Assembly for participation, and not falling into the temptation of doing the whole liturgy ourselves. Creating the signposts and providing a map is not the same as seeing the video. Not an easy balance to get right because different people have varying expectations.

Summer School Choir

This year, as in recent years, the Summer School Choir made a significant contribution to the success of the week.

Talks & Workshops

The speakers were:

and the Workshops:

Thursday Evening

On the final evening we had the customary festive dinner with the catering moving up a notch. Paul Inwood gave a short speech reminding us that the Society of Saint Gregory is a society of friends and then taught us the inevitable round.

Thursday evening is Concert Night at Summer School. Under the careful hosting and quick repartee of Peter Tibke members were treated to a rare cascade of delights. There was Ben Lathbury as Jasper Carrot, Mozart’s Kazoo Quartet, Martin and the Birettas, the ever popular Blodwen and Myfanwy. There was even a competition from some Beatles posing as chanting monks ably assisted by Don Miguel as translator. Lack of space prevents naming every act but a good time was had by all.

Farewells

And so to Friday. Aidan Rossiter had the task of gathering all the strands together from the week and leading us on to the final liturgy — a Liturgy of Commissioning and Sending Out.

And so we ended, ready to...

Go out to the whole world

and

proclaim the Good News!

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